Panoramic and engrossing, this is the third book in the unforgettable and hugely successful 'Suttons of Yorkshire' series. Blackouts, munitions, kitbags and rations once again pepper daily life. Daisy Dwerryhouse, the spirited daughter of gamekeeper Tom and his wife, ex-sewing-maid Alice, finds herself apart from her true love, Keth Purvis. Joining-up fever is infectious. Daisy is now a Wren, based in perilous Liverpool; Keth involved in secret war work in America. Will their mutual passion survive such a divide, as well as the tribulations and untold dramas of a world at war? Britain fights with desperate stubbornness, as the stench of undignified death and the snarl of enemy fighters touch Rowangarth. For Daisy and Keth, and for all the Suttons, these are years of danger and change: a bewildering time when a nation cannot even begin to hope for an end to the conflict.
I had already reviewed this book but for some reason it has disappeared from my challenge. I can't remember exactly what I said about it but I didn't like it as much as the previous two. I think Daisy and Keth were supposed to be the main characters in this one. Daisy was a bit wet, she was constantly whinging about being separated from Keth but 'boo hoo' everyone was going through the same thing. She annoyed me a lot. For the older generation they are once again facing the hardships of another war and for some it's just too much. Julia's 'clan' are all playing their part leaving her with a lot to worry about. There are a couple of losses which affect many people. We also spend a lot of time with Tatty and her family. Her grandmother, the Countess, is an atrocious woman and acts like she's still in Russia. Anyway, on to the next one.
Blackouts, munitions, kitbags and rations once again pepper daily life. Daisy Dwerryhouse, the spirited daughter of gamekeeper Tom and his wife, ex-sewing-maid Alice, finds herself apart from her true love, Keth Purvis. Joining-up fever is infectious. Daisy is now a Wren, based in perilous Liverpool; Keth involved in secret war work in America. Will their mutual passion survive such a divide, as well as the tribulations and untold dramas of a world at war? Britain fights with desperate stubbornness, as the stench of undignified death and the snarl of enemy fighters touch Rowangarth. For Daisy and Keth, and for all the Suttons, these are years of danger and change: a bewildering time when a nation cannot even begin to hope for an end to the conflict. When Britain went to war on 3 September 1939 there was none of the 'flag-waving patriotism' of August 1914. The British people were now resigned to the fact that Hitler had to be stopped by force.The first eight months of the war were a time of official unwarranted optimism and bureaucratic muddle. Many early wartime measures such as the blackout and evacuation proved highly unpopular. But this 'Phoney War' was soon followed by the 'bracing defeat' of Dunkirk and the fall of France in June 1940.For the next year, under Winston Churchill’s inspiring and resolute leadership, Britain with its Empire stood alone against Hitler, until they were joined by two powerful allies, the Soviet Union and the United States. The British were the most totally mobilised of all the major belligerents and there was a great and genuine community of spirit in wartime Britain which often transcended class and other barriers.Rochdale is a large town in Greater Manchester,England,at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch.Rochdale flourished into a centre of northern England's woollen trade,and by the early 18th century was described as being remarkable for many wealthy merchants.Rochdale rose to prominence in the 19th century as a mill town and centre for textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution.
I'm a huge fan of all of Elizabeth Elgin's novels. This is book #3 in a five book series, set in Yorkshire (and other places) during WWII. I'm invested in the families that are in this book and will keep on reading about them now that I've obtained the last two books in this series! :-)
Clumsy and repetitive. Flashes of potential, let down by a combination of lazy editing and copy/paste writing. At this point in the "saga", I'd happily settle for the Cliff Notes version. Save your time and money, just tell yourself that things worked out in the end.